Low voltage power supply system and method

Abstract

A power supply system supplies power to a plurality of power consuming devices via a single, low voltage supply line that has a maximum power rating. An energy storage device is linked to each of the power consuming devices, and the associated energy storage device is the exclusive source of power to the power consuming device. The energy storage devices are charged in accordance with a schedule so that all of the energy storage devices in a branch circuit are kept sufficiently charged to power their associated power consuming devices without the low voltage supply line ever exceeding its maximum power rating.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A power supply system, comprising:
 a low voltage power supply configured to supply a low voltage power to a branch circuit via a single low voltage supply line, the low voltage supply line having a maximum power rating;   the branch circuit comprising a plurality of energy storage devices, each energy storage device electrically connected to a corresponding power consuming device and configured to be a power source of the corresponding power consuming device, each of the plurality of energy storage devices configured to receive charging power exclusively from the low voltage supply line;   wherein the system is configured to charge each of the plurality of energy storage devices according to a charging schedule so that the power flowing through the low voltage supply line never exceeds the maximum power rating.   
     
     
         2 . The power supply system of  claim 1 , additionally comprising a plurality of energy storage device controllers configured to control power delivery to an associated one of the plurality of energy storage devices from the low voltage supply line so as to control charging of the associated one of the plurality of energy storage devices. 
     
     
         3 . The power supply system of  claim 2 , additionally comprising a main controller configured to direct control of the plurality of energy storage device controllers according to the charging schedule. 
     
     
         4 . The power supply system of  claim 3 , wherein the main controller is configured to communicate data to and from the plurality of energy storage device controllers over the low voltage power supply line. 
     
     
         5 . The power supply system of  claim 4 , wherein the main controller is configured to receive a energy storage device state data from each of the plurality of energy storage device controllers and save the energy storage device state data in memory, and wherein the main controller is configured to modify the charge schedule in consideration of the energy storage device state data. 
     
     
         6 . The power supply system of  claim 5 , wherein the main controller is configured to communicate with a grid computer so as to obtain information about a state of an electric grid. 
     
     
         7 . The power supply system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of power consuming devices has an operating power requirement, and wherein a combination of the operating power requirement of all of the plurality of power consuming devices exceeds the maximum power rating of the low voltage supply line. 
     
     
         8 . The power supply system of  claim 2 , wherein the low voltage power supply is configured to receive an input power from a primary power supply, and the low voltage power supply comprises a power conditioner configured to transform the input power to the low voltage power. 
     
     
         9 . The power supply system of  claim 8 , additionally comprising a power interface interposed between the low voltage supply line and each of the plurality of energy storage devices, wherein the power interface comprises an interface conditioner configured to transform the low voltage power into a final power for delivery to the associated one of the plurality of energy storage devices. 
     
     
         10 . A method of supplying the power needs of a plurality of power consuming devices, the method comprising:
 providing a power distributor comprising a low voltage power supply;   providing a branch circuit comprising first through nth energy storage devices, wherein n refers to a total number of energy storage devices in the branch circuit, and wherein each of the first through nth energy storage devices is electrically coupled with a respective first through nth power consuming device so that each of the first through nth energy storage devices exclusively powers the respective first through nth power consuming device;   connecting the power distributor to the first through nth energy storage devices in the branch circuit via a low voltage supply line, the low voltage supply line having a maximum power rating; and   charging the first through nth energy storage devices according to a charge control logic so that the power delivered through the low voltage supply line never exceeds the maximum power rating.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first through nth power consuming devices has a power consumption rating, and wherein the sum of the power consumption ratings of the first through nth power consuming devices exceeds the maximum power rating of the supply line. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the power distributor comprises a distributor controller, and comprising the distributor controller sending control signals over the low voltage supply line to selectively supply electric power to charge a selected one of the first through nth energy storage devices. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising the distributor controller having a charging schedule stored in a memory, wherein the control signals are configured to execute the charging schedule. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , comprising a first secondary controller directing a port be opened so that the first energy storage device is in electric communication with the low voltage supply line, and the first secondary controller directing the port be closed so that the first energy storage device is cut off from electric communication with the low voltage supply line. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , comprising the first secondary controller receiving control signals from the distributor controller via the low voltage supply line. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , comprising the first secondary controller receiving a data concerning a state of the first energy storage device and communicating the data concerning the state of the first energy storage device to the distributor controller. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , comprising the distributor controller receiving a data concerning a state of each of the first through nth energy storage devices, and the distributor controller developing a charging schedule using the data concerning the state of each of the first through nth energy storage devices. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising the distributor controller receiving a grid data concerning a state of an electric grid, and the distributor controller determining when to execute the charging schedule based at least in part on the grid data.